Soapstone

Scoria

Soapstone vs Scoria

Soapstone

Scoria

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Definition

It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc

Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap

From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Polished

Vesicular

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Glassy and Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills

Types

Metamorphic rock

Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.

Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO

Ca, NaCl

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

15-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²70.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.86-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

South America

Colombia

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

New Zealand, Western Australia

Soapstone vs Scoria Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Soapstone and Scoria Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Soapstone vs Scoria information and Soapstone vs Scoria characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Soapstone vs Scoria Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Soapstone vs Scoria characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Scoria. Learn more about Soapstone vs Scoria in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Scoria, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Scoria include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works.

More about Soapstone and Scoria

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Scoria. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Scoria consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Scoria, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas, Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Scoria. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Scoria is 5-6. The types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Scoria are Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Soapstone is black while that of Scoria is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Scoria is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.